East Coast taking over TPE flows

[mikeg]

It's taken me a while to find but I notice on brfares.com that East Coast have taken over the pricing of Thirsk to cluster Q469 (Doncaster cluster). They have replaced TPE's 8A restriction with a 3V restriction meaning the ticket is not valid before 0930, the result is you have to buy a £40 anytime return where a £30.20 offpeak return would previously have done. Did this happen in the release of the current NFM or earlier and I just didn't notice? My main question is why didn't they introduce this as a 'super off peak fare', have this as the regulated fare and keep the SVR largely unrestricted? It just seems a tad out of alignment with EC's normal pricing structure of having SVR's largely derestricted and using SSR's as the restricted regulated fare (I think it was the spring edition of the NFM they put the SVRs up between provincial locations)

Also have EC taken over many other flows?

I certainly won't be buying a Thirsk to Doncaster ticket anytime soon (I do know a way to get it a bit cheaper than the SOR)

 

[David Goddard]

So this effectively bars an Off Peak ticket on the 0928 ex Thirsk and connecting to the 1001 from York heading South, resulting in a fare of £40 instead of £30.20

For day return travel, why not do:
Thirsk-York OP Day Return 9.90*
York-Doncaster OP Day Return 16.20
Totalling £26.10 and saving £5 on the through off peak fare in any case

*Also of note is the £5 GC Only Anytime Return. Yes there are only four trains per day, but if the timings suit then definitely worth a punt!

 

[mikeg]

That's probably what I would do after 10am anyway - I have a 16-25 railcard so except in July, August and non-working days it is not generally worth making such small splits before that time. My concern is that it means peak time journey prices have been increased by stealth.